The Community That Brought Hope Home

By Kayla van Zon | Photography courtesy of Jessica Crandlemire

ON five acres of land on Sandford Fleming Drive in Collingwood, a remarkable community vision is taking shape. The David and Helen Capin Regional Centre for Pets and People will be a 19,200-square-foot home for compassion, connection, and care. It will replace the Georgian Triangle Humane Society’s (GTHS) current 6,000-square-foot facility, which has operated well beyond its intended capacity for years.

But this building is not simply a story of concrete, steel, and construction. It is the story of the people and organizations that believed in it. More than 200 donors and partners, including individuals, families, businesses, and municipalities, have supported the From Hope to Home Capital Campaign. Through financial gifts, legacy commitments, volunteer service, professional expertise, and municipal support, they have brought GTHS within $4 million of completing this transformative new Centre.

The finish line is in sight. Reaching it will take the same spirit of generosity that made every step before it possible.

A Legacy That Changed Everything
The Centre bears the names of David and Helen Capin, longtime Collingwood residents whose quiet compassion created an extraordinary legacy. For more than a decade, David and Helen personally delivered a cheque to GTHS every month to help provide cat food and litter. Their hearts were drawn to animals who might otherwise be overlooked, particularly aging, medically fragile, or longer-stay cats.

After Helen passed away in 2020, David began considering how their shared love of animals could live on. When he passed away in 2022, GTHS learned that he had left their entire estate to the new Centre. At $3.1 million, it was the largest gift in the organization’s history. David and Helen gave quietly, but their legacy will be felt in every animal sheltered, every family supported, and every second chance made possible within the Centre that now carries their names.

From left: Monika Merz and Michael T. Miller; Florence Farr; Diana Wiszniewska.

Every Gift Has a Story
Across the campaign, donors have given for reasons that are deeply personal. For Monika Merz and Michael T. Miller, a lifetime of rescuing and advocating for animals inspired a transformational gift that will name the Animal Hospital and Wellness Centre. Cynthia Torokvei’s generosity grew from her own experience of the comfort animals can provide during difficult times and her desire to make veterinary care more accessible to families facing an unexpected crisis.

For Phyllis Thrush, giving became a way to honour the shelter dogs who left pawprints on her life. She had always planned to include animals in her will, but  ultimately decided she wanted to see the impact of her generosity during her lifetime. Cheryl and Kevin Drynan share that desire to make a difference today. As volunteers, advocates, and donors, they have witnessed the limitations of the existing shelter firsthand, including animals recovering on blankets on the floor because there was nowhere else to place them.

For Florence Farr, compassion for animals has been a constant throughout her life. Growing up in the countryside and in a family with strong connections to veterinary care, Florence learned early that caring for animals was simply the right thing to do. Over the years, she has remained a steadfast supporter of GTHS, helping advance programs that provide safety, care, and second chances. When plans for the new Regional Centre were introduced, Florence immediately understood that it represented much more than a building. It was an investment in the future of animal welfare across the region.

For Diana Wiszniewska, the connection between pets and people is equally profound. Her story can perhaps be summed up in four words: we rescued each other.  After losing her husband in 2014, Diana found the quiet of home overwhelming. The companionship of a dog helped restore purpose and routine to her days. Over the years, rescue animals, including her spirited Australian Shepherd, Kiki, and Walter, a tuxedo cat who chose Diana during a visit to GTHS, have brought comfort, laughter, and connection to her life.

From left: Phyllis Thrush; Cheryl and Kevin Drynan.

Compassion in Action
The campaign has also been built by people whose contributions extend far beyond financial gifts. Lynn and Derrick March have played an extraordinary role in bringing the new Centre to life. Their connection to GTHS began when Lynn started volunteering in 2017, first as a dog walker and then wherever help was needed. Together, they opened their home to animals requiring foster care and have since fostered more than 40 animals, from senior dogs to new mothers with puppies, helping each one heal and move toward a new beginning.

Richard Mills, Edwina McGowan, and their sons, John and Simon, have made GTHS a family commitment through volunteering, supporting the Pet Pantry, and caring for high-risk cats. Dr. Ker and Debra Leggatt were among the campaign’s early donors, recognizing through their own experience that the bond between people and animals can strengthen families and provide comfort during challenging moments.

Legacy donors such as Marsha Rogers have ensured that compassion will continue beyond their lifetimes. Marsha dedicated her career to public service and shared an extraordinary bond with her rescue dog, Lacie. By including GTHS in her estate, she extended her lifetime of service to future generations of animals and the people who love them.

Businesses and municipalities have stepped forward too. Tatham Engineering has supported GTHS for a decade through donations, sponsorships, employee fundraising, and professional expertise. Municipal partners across South Georgian Bay have recognized the Centre as an investment in the wellbeing of the entire region.

Together, these stories reveal what this campaign has truly become: a community taking care of its own.

From left: Lynn and Derrick March; Richard Mills, Edwina McGowan and their sons, John and Simon; Dr. Ker and Debra Leggatt; Marsha Rogers.

More Than a Shelter
The Regional Centre will serve Collingwood, Clearview Township, Wasaga Beach, Meaford, Grey Highlands, and The Blue Mountains. It will expand access to animal sheltering, adoption, veterinary care, spay and neuter services, humane education, and crisis support for people at risk of losing a beloved pet. Animals will have more room to recover, receive care, and prepare for adoption. Families will have greater access to services that help keep their pets healthy and at home. Young people will learn about empathy, responsibility, and animal wellbeing.

This is more than a new building. It is a permanent community resource founded on a simple belief: pets and people are better together.

The Home Stretch
The walls are rising because more than 200 donors and
partners decided this vision mattered. Every gift has brought the community closer. Every volunteer hour has mattered. Every family, business, and municipality that stepped forward has helped turn an ambitious idea into something real.

Now, $4 million remains to complete the journey. There is still an opportunity to become part of this story.

A gift can honour an animal who changed your life. It can celebrate someone you love. It can create a family legacy, demonstrate business leadership, or simply express a belief that animals and the people who love them deserve care and support.

David and Helen started a legacy. Florence, Diana, and more than 200 donors and partners have helped carry it forward. Now, our community has the opportunity to finish what it started.

Together, we can raise the final $4 million and open the doors to a place where animals are protected, people are supported, and compassion has a permanent home. To learn more or make a gift, visit supportgths.ca. E